Dental caries experience in Australian Army recruits 2002-2003

Abstract

Background: Recent data have suggested that the trend of decreasing caries experience in Australian children is slowing with increasing dmft and DMFT scores seen in children. However, there are limited data on dental caries experience in young Australian adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 973 Australian Army recruits was conducted between November 2002 and March 2003. A clinical examination with bitewing radiographs was conducted and a questionnaire was used to elicit socio-demographic information. Results: Mean DMFT scores were 2.43, 3.44, 5.48, 7.02 and 10.77 for subjects aged 17-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35 and 36-51 years respectively. Subjects with a lifetime exposure to fluoridated..